Electric gained the upper hand against petrol, at least initially, in a drag race at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell yesterday.

A Tesla Model X electric vehicle (right) surged ahead at the beginning of a race against a Ferrari 488 (left),  the Ferrari only catching up later in the race.

[Otago Daily Times - 10 September 2018]

[Photo Simon Henderson]

A 16-month-old thrashed family 7-seater has thoroughly beaten a racing car off the start line at the Highlands Motorsport track. The friendly race had professional drivers in both vehicles at the International Drive Electric Week event in Cromwell on Sunday.

It came as no surprise to the Tesla fans in the crowd, although I'm sure there were some doubts amongst others.

The Ferrari seemed to almost catch the Tesla as it reached the straight line finish, although some claim this may be because electric vehicles can slow just as quickly as they can take off.

The event was organised jointly by FlipTheFleet and the Dunedin EV Owners Group and proudly supported by #LeadingTheCharge.

Electric Vehicles are no strangers to racing, with the overall winner at Pikes Peak, an EV this year as well. Meanwhile, Formula-E is gaining in popularity with speeds becoming almost comparable to Formula One. This is especially so amongst the younger generations apparently because the format suits interactive crowd participation.  The #LeadingTheCharge campaigners are also no strangers to EV vs Petrol racing, with a similar race between a Tesla Model S squarely beating a McLaren supercar four times in a row at Ardmore track, even when the Tesla was carrying an especially great political guest.

There will be another EV track day shortly. This time in the North Island at Hampton Downs racetrack on 7 October, hosted by the Electric Vehicle Association of Aotearoa.

[Rachelle Tilsley - Better NZ Trust - 10 Sept 2018]

Tesla plans to open-source its vehicle security software for free to other automakers for safer self-driving future

The eagerly awaited Mission E doesn't aim to be a Tesla killer, it aims to be a 'real Porsche', claims Stefan Weckbach, Head of the BEV Model Series at Porsche.

Meanwhile, will the new Tesla Model Y even have a steering wheel? Elon Musk teases with tidbits of information and a new peek at the styling and shape of this Model-3-sized SUV.

[Electrek - Fred Lambert - 5 & 6 June, 2018]

Interest in fully electric cars is on the rise, according to a group of enthusiasts who visited Oamaru as part of a national tour last week.

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[Oamaru Mail - 29th April 2016]

New Zealanders got their first look at the Renault Zoe last Friday at the Leading the Charge event in Wellington.

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[Lucire.com - 20th April 2016]

Timaru's charger opening coincided with the arrival of the Leading the Charge road trip convoy, which is travelling from Cape Reinga to Bluff to highlight the benefits of electric vehicles.

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[Timaru Herald - 20th April 2016]

The Leading the Charge road trip arrive in time for the opening of two charging stations in Timaru and Waimate.

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[Stuff.co.nz - 18th April 2016]